US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the UK agreed in a phone call Monday to set the end of August as the de facto deadline for reaching a nuclear deal with Iran. If no deal is reached by that deadline, the three European powers plan to trigger the "snapback" mechanism that automatically reimposes all UN Security Council sanctions that were lifted under the 2015 Iran accord (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı).
"When the U.S. use negotiations as a tool to deceive Iran and cover up a sudden military attack by the Zionist regime (Israel), talks cannot be conducted as before. Preconditions must be set and no new negotiations can take place until they are fully met," the statement said. The statement did not define the preconditions, but Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has previously said there should be guarantees there will be no further attacks against Tehran (Read more at Investing).
TEHRAN: Iran said Monday it had “no specific date” for a meeting with the United States on Tehran’s nuclear program, following a war with Israel that had derailed negotiations. “We have been serious in diplomacy and the negotiation process, we entered with good faith, but as everyone witnessed, before the sixth round the Zionist regime, in coordination with the United States, committed military aggression against Iran,” said Baqaei (Read more at Arabnews).
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a speech to Tehran-based foreign diplomats that Iran has always been ready and will be ready in the future for talks about its nuclear program, but, “assurance should be provided that in case of a resumption of talks, the trend will not lead to war.” (Read more at Arabnews)
An international press analysed satellite imagery from Planet Labs PBC showing the dome intact on the morning of June 23, the day of the strike, and then missing in images taken two days later. Scorch marks and minor damage are visible nearby, but the rest of the base appears largely untouched (Read more at Express Tribune).
While Trump's attacks may have taken out the centrifuges, some enriched uranium casks may still be accessible to Iranian engineers. Any attempt, however, to access the site in that manner will be detected by Israel and Iran will be attacked again, the official warned (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The United States imposed sanctions on 22 companies in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey on Wednesday for their roles in helping sell Iranian oil, the Treasury Department said. “The Iranian regime relies heavily on its shadow banking system to fund its destabilizing nuclear and ballistic missile weapons programs, rather than for the benefit of the Iranian people,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent (Read more at Boereport).
An Iran-linked cyberattack group that hacked President Trump's 2024 campaign is threatening to release another trove of emails it has stolen from his associates, including White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Roger Stone (Read more at Axios).
Iran criticized on Monday U.S. President Donald Trump's shifting stance on whether to lift economic sanctions against Tehran as "games" that were not aimed at solving the problems between the two countries. "These [statements by Trump] should be viewed more in the context of psychological and media games than as a serious expression in favor of dialogue or problem-solving," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference (Read more at Iran Oil and Gas).
There were serious questions about whether the Iranian officials were being truthful, and described the intercepts as unreliable indicators. "The notion that unnamed Iranian officials know what happened under hundreds of feet of rubble is nonsense. Their nuclear weapons program is over," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was quoted as saying by the Post (Read more at Global Banking and Finance).
Bombing may have provided the perfect cover for Iran to make its uranium stockpiles disappear and any IAEA investigation would likely be lengthy and arduous. Olli Heinonen, previously the IAEA's top inspector from 2005 to 2010, said the search will probably involve complicated recovery of materials from damaged buildings as well as forensics and environmental sampling, which take a long time (Read more at AOL).
The president also suggested that reporters should be subpoenaed for their sources, saying, "they could find out if they wanted. They could find out easily." "You have to do that. I suspect we'll be doing things like that," he added (Read more at Axios).
A MAGA movement facing a historic rift over President Trump's Iran strikes is quickly stitching itself back together by turning its rage toward familiar enemies at home. Trump's decision to strike three Iranian nuclear facilities last week — paired with fleeting talk of "regime change" — ignited some of the fiercest infighting within the "America First" base since the movement's inception a decade ago (Read more at Axios).
“Who in the Fake News Media is the SleazeBag saying that ‘President Trump wants to give Iran $30 Billion to build non-military Nuclear facilities.’ Never heard of this ridiculous idea,” the president wrote late Friday on Truth Social (Read more at The Hill).
Democratic effort fails in mostly partisan vote, hours after US president says he would consider more bombing. The resolution, “to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran”, was voted down 53-47 (Read more at Guardian).
"The complexity and tenacity of Iranians is famously known in our magnificent carpets, woven through countless hours of hard work and patience. But as a people, our basic premise is very simple and straightforward: we know our worth, value our independence, and never allow anyone else to decide our destiny," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X (Read more at Mehrnews).
From the White House to the Pentagon to the Netherlands, the administration's messaging campaign on the Iranian operation has carried with it an all-out offensive against the media, singling out reporters by name online and in briefings (Read more at Axios).
US President Donald Trump said last week that Pakistan knew Iran better than most other countries. Pakistan condemned Israeli and US strikes on Iran even as it said earlier this month it was nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in bringing a four-day India-Pakistan conflict to an end last month (Read more at Middle East Eye).
“In the recent negotiations, they tried to lure us into giving up the rights of our nation. When some certain events occurred, they imposed war and unleashed the criminal Zionist (Israeli) regime to carry out attacks,” he said. Araghchi added that the US betrayed diplomacy during talks, an experience that will shape Iran’s future decisions on negotiations. “Nevertheless, diplomacy continues, and I am in contact with several foreign ministers,” he said (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı).
The White House said US intelligence had been monitoring Iran’s nuclear sites for weeks before launching secret airstrikes last weekend, and insisted there was no sign Iran moved enriched uranium beforehand, calling the mission a historic success (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı).
Meanwhile, most viewed the U.S. attacks as a success — and are likely to back similar military action as a result. Republicans overwhelmingly approved of bombing Iran; sizable majorities of Democrats and independents did not. But once they were told the bombings only targeted Iran's uranium enrichment for its nuclear program, support increased in each group (Read more at Axios).
Trump reacted sternly to Khamanei’s first remarks after a 12-day conflict with Israel that ended when the United States launched bombing raids last weekend against Iranian nuclear sites. Khamanei said Iran “slapped America in the face” by launching an attack against a major US base in Qatar following the US bombing raids. Khamanei also said Iran would never surrender. Trump said he had spared Khamanei’s life. US officials said on June 15 that Trump had vetoed an Israeli plan to kill the supreme leader (Read more at Arabnews).
A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran appeared to hold on Tuesday, with Israel’s military lifting emergency measures and Iran’s president declaring “the end of a 12‑day war that was imposed on the Iranian people” in a televised address. “Both Israel and Iran wanted to stop the War, equally!” Mr. Trump posted on social media as he flew to a NATO summit in the Netherlands. “It was my great honor to Destroy All Nuclear facilities & capability, and then, STOP THE WAR!” (Read more at Amu TV).
Israel’s military achievements in its war with Iran will mean little if they are not “anchored to a diplomatic agreement that will ensure that Iran will not develop nuclear weapons,” Shira Efron, research director of the Israel Policy Forum, said on the Haaretz Podcast. Without such a guarantee, she fears, the “fragile cease-fire” in place will not hold and there will be a regression into the “tit-for-tat war of attrition” that the Trump-imposed cease-fire managed to halt. Bringing the Iranians back to the negotiating table in good faith, however, she said, will be challenging. From their perspective, after they showed willingness to negotiate, Israel and the United States struck militarily (Listen here).
Over the weekend, the president decided to launch an attack on Iranian nuclear sites, which included deploying B-2s loaded with bunker busters, in an operation called Midnight Hammer. Shortly after the operation, Trump began calling for a ceasefire to allow the president and his team to negotiate a new nuclear deal with Iran. The sabre-scribblers could not be satisfied with anything short of a regime change war. Of course, they have no intention of going to the battlefield themselves—let alone sending their sons. More often than not, they are Never Trumpers who don’t even trust the commander in chief to lead the wars they call for (Listen here).
Khamenei said in his video message that the U.S. entered the war because it felt it had to save Israel from being destroyed. "It entered the war to save it, but it did not achieve anything from this war. They attacked our nuclear facilities, but they were unable to do anything important," he said. Khamenei claimed President Trump "exaggerated" the results of the U.S. strikes on Iran. "They could not do anything, they could not achieve their goal, and they are exaggerating to cover up the truth," he said (Read more at Axios).
The 12-day war on Iran was unprecedented, unique in scope and seismic in implications. For the first time, Israel launched a war - not merely a limited operation - against a country it shares no border with, separated by at least 1,500 kilometres. More crucially, it marked the first time in history that the United States openly fought alongside Israel in a direct military assault (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The U.S. airstrike on Iran, however, may represent Trump's largest gamble yet. While the potential for political reward is high and largely dependent on whether Trump can maintain the fragile peace he is trying to forge between Iran and Israel, experts say, there is a downside risk of events spiraling out of Trump’s control while a skeptical American public watches (Read more at Reuters).
Eleven Iranian nationals with either criminal records or suspected terrorist ties who had been living in the United States illegally were arrested over the weekend while American war planes were bombing nuclear facilities in their homeland, federal officials announced. In addition, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested a U.S. citizen who is alleged to have harbored one of the Iranian nationals and threatened to “shoot ICE officers in the head,” the Department of Homeland Security said (Read more at NBC News).
Senior White House official said Trump's comments do not reflect a new policy. Trump's comments signal bearish outlook for oil prices. No near-term impact on China's Iranian, US oil purchases expected. Saudi Arabia may be upset by China's Iranian oil purchases (Read more at Reuters).
Don Holstead, the assistant director for counter terrorism, issued guidance over the weekend reassigning agents who work on counterterrorism, counterintelligence and cyber issues but had been sidetracked by immigration duties. The FBI said it does not confirm or deny operational changes (Read more at NBC News).
President Donald Trump doubled down on his assertion that U.S. bomb strikes destroyed Iran’s nuclear program. He criticized reporting on an initial U.S. intelligence report that suggested the bombings likely set Iran’s nuclear program back by a few months, not years (Read more at CNBC).
The Pentagon has launched a criminal investigation into the leak of a classified Defense Intelligence Agency report assessing that damage to Iranian nuclear facilities from U.S. airstrikes didn’t significantly set back Tehran’s nuclear program. Rubio also said that Iran is now "much further away from a nuclear weapon" after the U.S. dropped 14 bombs weighing 30,000 pounds each on three of Iran's main nuclear sites (Read more at Politico).
Trump said his decision to join Israel's attacks by targeting Iranian nuclear sites with huge bunker-busting bombs had ended the war, calling it "a victory for everybody". "We're going to talk to them next week, with Iran. We may sign an agreement. I don't know. To me, I don't think it's that necessary," Trump said (Read more at Reuters).
"We are already talking to each other, not just directly but also through interlocutors. I think that the conversations are promising. We are hopeful that we can have a long-term peace agreement that resurrects Iran," Witkoff said (Read more at Reuters).
"At the tactical level, I think they've been degraded," Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of US Central Command, said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. "I think the degree to which that degradation has taken place, particularly in the last 12 days, is best discussed in a classified forum," he added. But he said that Iran possesses "considerable tactical capability," one element of which was visible in the missile attack on the US military base of Al Udeid on Monday (Read more at Business Insider).
House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday threw her weight behind a rapidly accelerating effort by Democratic lawmakers to limit Trump's power to unilaterally strike Iran. Democrats are infuriated that the Trump administration postponed briefings on the Middle East that were planned for Tuesday, and that rage is helping to fuel what was initially a fringe effort. "Yesterday, the Administration decided to withhold intelligence ... in a slap in the face to the Congress," Pelosi said in a statement. "That is why I am supporting War Powers Resolutions which reassert the Article One powers of the Congress and ensure the Administration does not keep the American people and their Representatives in the dark." (Read more at Axios)
"I don't wanna use an example of Hiroshima or Nagasaki but that was essentially the same thing," Trump said. "That ended that war. If we didn't take that out they would be fighting right now." "Two Iranians went down to see it and they said this place is gone," he said, presumably referring to one of Iran's nuclear research sites (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Israel’s conflict with Iran has wiped out dozens of top military leaders and scientists and inflicted major damage on critical facilities, yet the regime has survived. The Iranian people have not risen up; to the contrary, they have rallied around the flag amid a surge in anti-Western sentiment. However, the regime will need to embark on serious reforms to keep the people on its side, says Iranian American academic Vali Nasr (Listen here).
“These strikes – in accordance with the inherent right to collective self-defence, consistent with the UN Charter – aimed to mitigate the threat posed by Iran to Israel, the region and to, more broadly, international peace and security,” acting US envoy to the UN Dorothy Shea told the United Nations Security Council (Read more at Straits Times).
Findings by Defense Intelligence Agency suggest Trump’s declaration that sites were ‘obliterated’ may be overstated. It concluded key components of the nuclear program, including centrifuges, were capable of being restarted within months. The report also found that much of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium that could be put to use for a possible nuclear weapon was moved before the strikes and may have been moved to other secret nuclear sites maintained by Iran (Read more at Guardian).
"The Israelis have accomplished much of their objectives ... and Iran was looking for an off-ramp,” said Jonathan Panikoff, a former deputy U.S. national intelligence officer for the Middle East. "The U.S. hopes this is the beginning of the end. The challenge is whether there is a strategy for what comes next." Questions also remain about what has actually been agreed to, even as Trump’s declaration raised hopes for the end of a conflict that has prompted fears of a broader regional war. Signaling a difficult path ahead, it took hours for Israel and Iran to even acknowledge that they had accepted the ceasefire that Trump said he had brokered. What is the future of its nuclear and ballistic missile programs? What happens to its stockpile of highly enriched uranium? There will be a need for negotiations - and these won’t be easy to resolve (Read more at Street Insider).
“I think the ceasefire is unlimited. It’s going to go forever," Trump said. Asked whether the war was completely over, Trump said: “Yes. I don’t believe they will ever be shooting at each other again.” (Read more at NBC News)
Johnson has already rejected calls to stage a vote on a bipartisan war powers resolution in the wake of Trump’s decision to strike three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend, arguing that Congress’s input is unnecessary. On Tuesday, he took that opposition a long step forward, saying the War Powers Act — a 1973 law designed to limit a president’s authority to wage unilateral war — defies the Founder’s designs for the commander in chief (Read more at The Hill).
The poll also finds that Americans oppose U.S. military involvement in the Middle East unless the U.S. is directly threatened and that most Americans do not feel that U.S. airstrikes against Iran make America safer. Attitudes toward President Donald Trump’s handling of Iran are divided along partisanship, but overall, half of Americans do not approve of Trump’s handling of Iran (Read more at Ipsos).
Trump addressed the U.S. Department of Energy in a post on his Truth Social platform encouraging it to "drill, baby, drill" and saying, "I mean now," despite no major oil disruptions after the bombings. In another post on the platform, Trump said in all caps: "Everyone, keep oil prices down, I'm watching! You're playing into the hands of the enemy, don't do it." U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright responded, "We're on it!" to the drilling message, in a post on X (Read more at MSN).
The move suggests that the US believed Saudi Arabia would not be targeted by Iranian strikes and points to coordination with Iran to limit the fallout of the attack. The New York Times earlier reported that Iran provided advanced notice to Qatari officials to minimise casualties (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Loud explosions were also heard, although so far no injuries have been reported. Qatar’s Defence Ministry says its air defence systems successfully intercepted missiles targeting Al Udeid Air Base (Read more at Aljazeera).
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has reiterated that Trump needs to consult Congress before taking any military action against Iran. “I’ve seen press reports that Iranian missiles are targeting US military bases in the Middle East, putting the lives of thousands of American servicemembers at immediate risk,” Schumer said on X (Read more at Aljazeera).
The joint attacks against Iran aim to sow chaos and instability in order to secure regional domination. Clearly, the US and Israel are not after Iran’s nuclear programme. They are after Iran as a regional power, and that is why regime change has already been floated in public (Read more at Aljazeera).
A group of 12 House Democratic military veterans have thrown their weight behind efforts to constrain Donald Trump’s military authority, announcing they will support a War Powers Act resolution in response to the US president’s go ahead for airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. The veterans – some of whom served in Iraq and Afghanistan – were strongly critical of Trump’s decision to launch what they called “preventive air strikes” without US congressional approval, drawing explicit parallels to the run-up to some of America’s longest recent wars (Read more at Guardian).
He wants to celebrate the joint U.S-Israeli bombing of Iran's nuclear program. Despite past tensions in their relationship, the two leaders are closer than ever and see the 12-day war against Iran as a monumental achievement — both for their countries and their personal legacies (Read more at Axios).
Bannon, the longtime Trump ally and leading figure in the MAGA movement, praised Trump for the strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities during an episode of his podcast “Bannon’s War Room.” But he questioned the “regime change narrative,” criticized the Pentagon for its messaging in the hours after the strike and urged Israel to “finish what you started” without U.S. involvement (Read more at Politico).
Attacks on US assets: The US has a range of military bases across the Middle East.
Withdraw from Non-Proliferation Treaty: Article 10 postulates that an NPT member has "the right to withdraw from the Treaty if it decides that extraordinary events have jeopardised the supreme interests of its country".
Block the Strait of Hormuz: The Strait of Hormuz is a key shipping lane for international trade and is a "chokepoint" for nearly a fifth of the world's daily oil flows.
Mobilisation of proxies: A range of Iran-backed armed groups in a number of countries including Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon are also likely to retaliate against US assets in the region (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Iran’s most valuable nuclear asset is its stockpile of enriched uranium. As long as they continue to have that, they still actually have very much a nuclear programme that still could be weaponised (Read more at Aljazeera).
"This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days," Trump warned. It's an intervention fraught with risks and uncertainty — one that Trump and many of his predecessors had sought to avoid, including through diplomacy with Iran. The attack, which came on the ninth night of the unprecedented war between Israel and Iran, could provoke retaliation from Tehran against U.S. troops and military installations across the region (Read more at Axios).
President Trump's MAGA movement appeared to largely coalesce late Saturday in supporting his decision to strike Iranian nuclear sites, despite its bitter infighting recently over the prospect of the U.S. intervening in the Israel-Iran war. Skepticism of foreign entanglements is a foundational pillar of Trump's "America First" credo — but so is support for the president (Read more at Axios).
The objections center on the argument that Trump needed congressional authorization for such a provocative use of military force. "We need to immediately return to DC and vote on [Rep. Thomas Massie's] and my War Powers Resolution to prevent America from being dragged into another endless Middle East war," said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). Massie (R-Ky.), a libertarian who often breaks with Trump, said in a post on X reacting to the strikes: "This is not Constitutional." (Read more at Axios).
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters the U.S. war against Iran is "not open-ended" and is "not about regime change," stressing that Saturday's U.S. military strikes were strictly targeted at Iran's nuclear program. Vice President Vance flatly denied that the U.S. is at war with Iran, telling NBC's "Meet the Press" instead: "We're at war with Iran's nuclear program." (Read more at Axios)
A surprise U.S. military attack on Iranian nuclear facilities involved more than 125 aircraft and 75 precision-guided weapons. The operation, dubbed Midnight Hammer, produced the longest B-2 Spirit mission since 2001 and the first real-world use of 30,000 pound bunker-busting bombs (Read more at Axios).
Israel: ‘Change History’, UK: ‘Stability is Priority’, EU: ‘Step Back’, UN: ‘Dangerous Escalation’, Iraq: ‘Grave Threat’, Saudi Arabia: ‘Exercise Restraint’, Hamas: ‘Brutal Aggression’, Democrats: ‘Unilateral Military Action’ (Read more at Defense Post).
President Trump said Friday that it will be "very hard" to pause Israel's war against Iran in order to allow for direct negotiations with the U.S., noting that Israel is "doing well" in its efforts to take out Iran's nuclear program. "I think it's very hard to make that request right now. If somebody is winning, it's a little bit harder to do than if somebody is losing," Trump said (Read more at Axios).
Pakistani army chief Munir’s US trip suggests warming ties after past diplomatic friction. But challenges remain. For Pakistan, analysts said, that comment underscored how the reset in ties with the US that Islamabad desperately seeks will be tested by two key challenges. Iran and the current crisis with Israel will force Pakistan into a diplomatic balancing act. But the Pakistani military conceded that the two leaders also held “detailed discussions” on the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel with both Munir and Trump – according to Islamabad – emphasising the need for a peaceful resolution (Read more at Aljazeera).
The comments come after Trump earlier this week cast doubt on Tulsi Gabbard’s March 25 report to Congress, in which she reiterated the US intelligence community’s assessment. On Tuesday, Trump told reporters, “I don’t care” that the intelligence community’s finding contradicted his own claims, saying Iran was in the late stages of developing a nuclear weapon (Read more at Aljazeera).
The foreign ministers of Germany, France and the U.K. — with Kaja Kallas, the former Estonian leader in question — are expected to join emergency talks in Geneva with representatives of Iran on Friday anyway. On Thursday Trump and his team gave European officials reasons to hope that their efforts may not be futile. The White House announced Trump will decide within the next two weeks whether to order U.S. military action as he believes “there’s a substantial chance of negotiations.” That longer timeframe for Trump to make his decision appears to open the door to a renewed diplomatic push, giving Friday’s talks in Switzerland potentially much more weight (Read more at Politico).
On a sweltering summer evening in New York City on Wednesday, hundreds of protesters assembled on the steps of the New York Public Library in Manhattan to convey what they said was a clear message to the city and country's elected officials: "No War on Iran". Protesters held up Palestinian flags, as well as signs urging for the bombardment to end. Several people waved placards that read: "Money for people's needs. Not War with Iran" (Read more at Middle East Eye).
At any moment, President Donald Trump could decide to directly involve the United States in yet another war in the Middle East—this time against Iran. The stakes could not be higher, and, this week, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., joins "The Signal Sitdown" to discuss. “I think President Trump's instincts are to try to keep us out of war,” Paul told The Daily Signal. “I think he has these instincts within his belief system of restraint and less intervention.” Nevertheless, Paul warned that there might be “forces within his administration that would like to get us more involved.” (Listen here)
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a combat veteran who led troops in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan, accused President Donald Trump of displaying “a lack of seriousness” in dealing with the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran (Read more at Politico).
Trump met with his top national security team in the Situation Room on Thursday — the third such meeting in three days. He's seriously considering joining the war, but wants to ensure three things are true (Read more at Axios).
60% of 1,512 polled Americans think the U.S. military should not get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran, according to an Economist/YouGov poll released this week. Only 16% support U.S. military action, and 24% are unsure (Read more at Axios).
The base at Diego Garcia puts US bomber aircraft within 5,300km of Iran but requires UK authorisation for use. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer chaired an emergency Cobra meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss Britain's response if the US enters the conflict between Israel and Iran. Much of the discussion hinged on Diego Garcia, a shadowy UK-US military base deep in the Indian Ocean (Read more at Middle East Eye).
“Through this action, the United States has dealt a serious blow to international peace and security,” he said, vowing that Iran would defend itself “by all means necessary against... US military aggression.” “I’m going to Moscow this afternoon” to hold “serious consultations with the Russian president tomorrow,” he added (Read more at Arabnews).
"The best-case scenario for Israel is either an American attack on the underground Fordow nuclear site or an agreement that causes the Iranians to give up the uranium there," he said. "The worst case scenario is a war of attrition with Iran, in which we continue to bomb them but cannot fully eliminate some of their sites, and they continue to bomb us and wake us up three times every night with ballistic missiles." The 10 days before the Israeli strike were a joint American-Israeli trap set for the Iranians" in which U.S. President Donald Trump deceptively declared he was pressuring Israel to stand down in deference to diplomatic efforts (Listen here).
Trump's doubts Wednesday about the certainty of success are one reason he was still questioning whether to move forward with a strike. If Trump enters the war it almost certainly would be to destroy the Fordow uranium enrichment site, which is built into a mountain south of Tehran. It's at the top of Israel's target list. But Israel lacks the 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs needed to destroy it from the air, along with the B-2 bomber aircraft to carry them. The U.S has both within flying range of Iran. "We are the only ones who have the capability to do it, but that doesn't mean I am going to do it," Trump said Wednesday when asked whether he considers it essential to destroy Fordow. "I have been asked about it by everybody but I haven't made a decision." (Read more at Axios).
The conversation soured when Cruz claimed "we are carrying out military strikes today." Pressed by Carlson on whether it's the U.S. or Israel leading the strikes, Cruz said the U.S. was "supporting" Israel. "This is high stakes," Carlson responded. "You're a senator. If you're saying the United States government is at war with Iran right now, people are listening (Read more at Axios).
Democrats are demanding more information from the White House as President Trump considers joining the Israeli offensive against Iran. Democrats say that lawmakers aren't being given enough information about a potential U.S. military action (Read more at Axios).
President Trump said Wednesday that Iran still wants to negotiate with the U.S. and even proposed sending a delegation to the White House, but that it was getting "very late" for talks and he might soon authorize strikes on Iran's nuclear program (Read more at Axios).
The closest parallel to today is the Obama administration’s 2011 decision to lead a Nato bombing campaign on Libya during the Arab Spring. “Libya was seen as a ‘safer bet’ for intervention during the Arab Spring. No one thinks Iran is marginal. There is a big difference. But the concern about mission creep is there.” (Read more at Middle East Eye)
Senators Sanders, Tim Kaine and Elizabeth Warren have introduced "No War Against Iran Act" to prevent Trump from using federal funds for any "illegal wars” in or against Iran without approval from Congress (Read more at Middle East Eye).
The Israel-Iran conflict brings more instability to the Middle East, a region with extensive US interests. They'll be central to shaping president Donald Trump's strategy. So, what's at stake for Washington--and the pros and cons for Trump of further involvement? (Listen here)
Donald Trump loyalists are shaping a narrative of how the U.S. leader outfoxed Iran and lulled the mullahs into thinking he would restrain Benjamin Netanyahu. More likely the Israeli PM outthought them all (Read more at Politico).
If Netanyahu indeed carries out an assassination of Iranian political leaders outside of the military's ranks, there is little doubt that the optics will point towards the US and its culpability in any such event. Trump, at this point in time, has no interest in taking a gamble with Iran's governance, not as long as Iran wants to return to the negotiating table (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Over the weekend, Israel had an operational window to assassinate Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but President Trump made it clear that he is against such a move, U.S. officials said. The White House officials say Trump is still trying to prevent further escalation of the war and resume talks with Iran on a nuclear deal (Read more at Axios).
A group of pro-Israel members of Congress is urging President Trump to ensure "zero enrichment, zero pathway to a nuclear weapon" in negotiations with Iran. The lawmakers — including a Republican, Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) — said Israel's strikes against Iranian nuclear sites and other military targets have created a "renewed sense of urgency" on the issue. The letter is led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), a staunchly pro-Israel centrist Democrat, and signed by seven other House Democrats, in addition to Bacon (Read more at Axios).
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said, " that the U.S. response will be "triggered" by Iran's actions — and if they target Americans or the U.S. presence in the region, Iran "should be prepared for all of America's might to descend upon them." (Read more at Axios)
President Donald Trump said the United States could become involved in the Iran-Israel conflict, and that he would be “open” to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin being a mediator. The Republican president also said talks over Iran’s nuclear program were continuing and that Tehran would “like to make a deal,” perhaps more quickly now that the Islamic Republic is trading massive strikes with Israel (Read more at Defense Post).
The modification is secret, but two US officials confirmed that Israel did not use mid-air refuelling during its Friday attack on Iran or land their warplanes for refuelling at any nearby countries. The F-35 is the only long-range stealth fighter in the world, and its features make it difficult for radar or infrared sensors to track it. The scale of Israel’s Friday attack and the surprise nature of it mean the improvement is a sea change for the F-35, the US officials said (Read more at Middle East Eye).
President Trump said after a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday that the war between Israel and Iran needs to end. Why it matters: Trump's call for ending the war comes less than 48 hours after Israel launched its attacks against Iran and shows the amount of concern at the White House from the escalating fighting (Read more at Axios).
Israel has asked the Trump administration over the past 48 hours to join the war with Iran in order to eliminate its nuclear program, according to two Israeli officials. The big picture: Israel lacks the bunker buster bombs and large bomber aircraft needed to destroy Iran's Fordow uranium enrichment site, which is built into a mountain and deep underground. The U.S. has both within flying distance of Iran (Read more at Axios).
Shortly after that, Oman also confirmed the talks “will not now take place”. Tehran branded dialogue over its nuclear programme with the US as “meaningless” after Israel launched its biggest-ever military strike against Iran, which Tehran accuses Washington, DC, of supporting (Read more at Aljazeera).
The US State Department specifically named Iran, Iraq, Jordan, and Israel in its alerts, urging Americans in certain areas to shelter in place and in some cases leave immediately (Read more at MSN).
Minutes before heading to the Situation Room for a strategy session on Iran, President Trump told Axios he believes Israel's massive strike likely improved the chances of a U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement. Iranian officials have said explicitly that they blame the U.S. for the attack, along with Israel. The U.S. is preparing to defend against a potential Iranian retaliation on U.S. targets (Read more at Axios).
The Trump administration wants to use the war Israel started to get the Iranians back to the nuclear talks when they are in a weaker position. "I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to just do it. But no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn't get it done," Trump wrote on Truth Social (Read more at Axios).
Trump would have undoubtedly been regarded with less ill will in Tehran had he stuck to the “America First” policy that is the cornerstone of his second administration. As the name suggests, this policy ostensibly promotes a focus on US citizens and their needs rather than on, you know, bombing people in other countries. And yet the at least tacit endorsement extended by Trump for today’s attacks on Iran would seem to call into question American priorities – and raise the possibility that the US is instead putting “Israel First” (Read more at Aljazeera).
In essence, Trump does not necessarily lack the right instincts, but he is a consummate bungler, executing his vision in a way that is often counterproductive. On nuclear negotiations with Iran, if Trump thinks he can reach an agreement with Tehran that includes zero enrichment, he is dreaming. Iran has not endured decades of sanctions to maintain its right to nuclear enrichment just to sell it off to the man who, among many other things, gave the order to kill General Qassem Soleimani. Trump might also believe that by facilitating and defending Israeli strikes on Iran he may increase his leverage in the nuclear talks with Tehran, but this choice could turn into a serious miscalculation, not to mention that Iran has already cancelled this weekend's planned talks (Read more at Middle East Eye).
"I think it's been excellent. We gave them a chance and they didn't take it. They got hit hard, very hard. They got hit about as hard as you're going to get hit. And there's more to come. A lot more," Trump was quoted as saying by an ABC reporter (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Iran launched a major counterattack against Israel on Friday, firing around 100 missiles in two barrages, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The retaliatory attack began 18 hours after Israel launched a war against Iran, attacking its nuclear facilities and missile sites and killing top military leaders and nuclear scientists. The U.S. is helping to intercept incoming ballistic missiles, according to an Israeli official and a senior U.S. official (Read more at Axios).
The US sent around 300 Hellfire missiles to Israel. The transfer of such a large quantity of Hellfires suggests that the Trump administration was well-informed of Israel’s plans to attack the Islamic Republic of Iran (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that U.S. commitment to Israel's defense must be "ironclad" after the country's attack on Iran. Schumer's statement was not critical of the Israeli offensive, while other top Senate Democrats have already panned the attack as "reckless." (Read more at Axios)
In the podcast interview, Trump said the Iranians seem to be using delaying tactics. “I’m less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago. Something happened to them, but I am much less confident of a deal being made,” he said (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
The U.S. would almost certainly help Israel defend itself from Iranian retaliation, as it has during past Iranian attacks. While Israel could cause significant damage to Iran's nuclear program, an Israeli operation would be more limited than one involving U.S. participation (Read more at Axios).
MAGA erupted with warnings that the movement could fracture if President Trump green-lights — or fails to stop — Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. Non-interventionism is one of the core pillars of the "America First" movement — arguably as important to the MAGA base as immigration and trade (Read more at Axios).
White House envoy Steve Witkoff privately warned top Senate Republicans last week that Iran could unleash a mass casualty response if Israel bombs their nuclear facilities (Read more at Axios).
“We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense.” (Read more at New York Post)
Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said on Wednesday that Iran would target US military bases in the region if the US attacked it first. “Some officials on the other side threaten conflict if negotiations don’t come to fruition. If a conflict is imposed on us … all US bases are within our reach and we will boldly target them in host countries,” Nasirzadeh told reporters, the Reuters news agency reported (Read more at Aljazeera).
The United States and Israel are seeking to turn nuclear talks into a "strategic trap" for Iran, they said. "The US is not serious in negotiations at all. It has set the goal of talks as imposing its demands and has adopted offensive positions that are diametrically opposed to Iranians' inalienable rights," the statement from parliamentarians said (Read more at Daily Star).
Michael Kurilla, the Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), has revealed that the U.S. military has developed a broad range of military options in preparation for a possible confrontation with Iran should nuclear negotiations fail. Speaking before the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, June 10, Kurilla emphasized the strategic readiness of U.S. forces and indicated that these options have been presented to the President Donald Trump and the Defense Minister Pete Hegseth (Read more at Khaama Press).
"We discussed a lot of things, and it went very well, very smooth. We'll see what happens," Trump said. "You know, we're trying to do something with a country we just spoke about, Iran," he added. Noting the difficulty of engaging with Iran, Trump said: "They are good negotiators, but they're tough. Sometimes they can be too tough, that's the problem." (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı).
Trump did not elaborate and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for details of Iran’s involvement. The United States has proposed a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas (Read more at Dawn).
"I have provided the secretary of defense and the president with a wide range of options," U.S. Army General Michael "Erik" Kurilla, the head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), told a congressional hearing. Kurilla was responding to Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama, the chairman of the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee, who asked if CENTCOM was prepared to respond with overwhelming force if Iran does not permanently give up its nuclear ambitions (Read more at Global Banking and Finance).
“They don’t want to have to give up what they have to give up. They seek enrichment. We want just the opposite,” Trump said during a business round table (Read more at Middle East Eye).
Esmaeil Baghaei, the ministry’s spokesman, told a weekly news conference on Monday that Iran was not satisfied with a US proposal and it would present its version via mediator Oman (Read more at Aljazeera).
A senior U.S. official told Axios the president sees both crisis as intertwined and part of a broader regional reality he is trying to shape. The meeting on Iran and Gaza was attended by Trump, Vice President Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, chief of staff Susie Wiles, special envoy Steve Witkoff, CIA director John Ratcliffe and other senior officials. Trump said Monday that "generals and admirals" also attended the meetings but declined to say what was discussed (Read more at Axios).
President Donald Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Washington had delivered a "reasonable offer" to Tehran to limit its nuclear programme, Netanyahu's office said in a statement (Read more at Barrons).
"The decision to ban the entry of Iranian nationals - merely due to their religion and nationality - not only indicates the deep hostility of American decision-makers towards the Iranian people and Muslims but also violates... international law," a senior Foreign Ministry official said in a ministry statement posted on the X social media platform (Read more at The Hindu).
It targets over 30 individuals and entities linked to three Iranian brothers who allegedly laundered billions of dollars through the international financial system. “Iran’s shadow banking system is a critical lifeline for the regime through which it accesses the proceeds from its oil sales, moves money, and funds its destabilizing activities,” said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized (Read more at G Captain).
"We have close partner relations with Tehran and, naturally, President Putin said that we are ready to use this level of partnership with Tehran in order to facilitate and contribute to the negotiations that are taking place to resolve the issue of the Iranian nuclear dossier," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said (Read more at Mehrnews).
The comments were delivered in a speech on Wednesday as the US and Iran continue to negotiate the details of a possible new nuclear deal. The issue of uranium enrichment has remained a sticking point in the talks, with the US reportedly demanding a complete halt or low-level enrichment in exchange for the lifting of Western sanctions against Tehran (Read more at Aljazeera).
President Trump has set a two-month deadline for reaching a deal with Iran. U.S. officials said the White House started counting this deadline once the talks with Iran began on April 12. That deadline will expire in a week (Read more at Axios).
A panel of experts examine Iraq’s balancing act amid changing US–Iran dynamics: 5 June 2025 — 6:00PM TO 7:00PM By Chatham House (Register here).
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it would have to see if there are changes in the US position on sanctions, as the two countries negotiate a deal to resolve a decades-long dispute over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “I regret to inform you that the American side has not yet been willing to clarify this issue,” ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said in a weekly press conference in Tehran (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
"Iran is drafting a negative response to the U.S. proposal, which could be interpreted as a rejection of the U.S. offer," said a senior diplomat, who is close to Iran's negotiating team (Read more at APA).
Adani Group companies are under inquiry by US prosecutors into whether they have been involved in importing Iranian petrochemical products. Certain tankers regularly traveling between Mundra and the Persian Gulf displayed behaviors typical of ships aiming to circumvent sanctions (Read more at Business Standard).
"If US seeks a diplomatic solution, it must abandon the language of threats and sanctions," an unnamed Iranian official said, adding that such threats "are open hostility against Iran's national interests." (Read more at Business Standard)
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi “paid a short visit to Tehran today to present elements of a US proposal which will be appropriately responded to in line with the principles, national interests and rights of the people of Iran,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X (Read more at Dawn).
The warning was made a week after Trump announced the direct talks between U.S. and Iran. Alarmed at the prospect of further instability in the region, Saudi Arabia's 89-year-old King Salman bin Abdulaziz dispatched his son, Prince Khalid bin Salman, with the warning destined for Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the report said (Read more at i24).
The Solidify Iran Sanctions Act of 2025—introduced in the Senate after unanimously passing the House earlier this month—would permanently extend provisions of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, removing the current sunset clause that allows it to expire (Read more at Iran News Update).
The leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates all argued against a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities during President Trump's recent visit and encouraged him to continue pushing for a new nuclear deal (Read more at Axios).
An Iranian national has pleaded guilty in the U.S. over his involvement in an international ransomware and extortion scheme involving the Robbinhood ransomware. Sina Gholinejad (aka Sina Ghaaf), 37, and his co-conspirators are said to have breached the computer networks of various organizations in the United States and encrypted files with Robbinhood ransomware to demand Bitcoin ransom payments (Read more at Hackernews).
Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), told reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday that the deputy director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will visit the remaining locations as agreed in the March 2023 joint statement (Read more at Mehrnews).
Asked if he warned Netanyahu not to attack Iran, Trump said "I would like to be honest, yes I did." Trump stressed he told Netanyahu a military strike on Iran in the current timing would be "inappropriate" because the U.S. and Iran are close to a deal. Trump said he believes the Iranian nuclear crisis can be solved with "a very strong document," and without military action (Read more at Axios).
“My impression is that if you have that type of agreement, a solid, very robust inspection by the IAEA ... should be a prerequisite, and I’m sure it will be, because it would imply a very, very serious commitment on the part of Iran, which must be verified,” Grossi said (Read more at Arabnews).
Iran may pause uranium enrichment if the U.S. releases frozen Iranian funds and recognises Tehran's right to refine uranium for civilian use under a "political deal" that could lead to a broader nuclear accord, two Iranian official sources said (Read more at AOL).
The meeting was part of Noem’s larger jaunt to Italy, Bahrain and Poland, where she also spoke to world leaders about advancing US security interests. While in Israel, “the Secretary and Prime Minister had a candid conversation where the Secretary reiterated POTUS’s desire to bring peace to the region and for Iran to never have a nuclear weapon,” a readout of the meeting read (Read more at New York Post).
One idea that was raised by Oman and adopted by the U.S. calls for establishing a regional consortium that will enrich uranium for civilian nuclear purposes under monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the U.S. One big question is where the consortium's uranium enrichment facilities would be located. The U.S. wants them to be outside Iran. Another idea is for the U.S. to recognize Iran's right to enrich uranium, while Iran fully suspends its uranium enrichment (Read more at Axios).
"I think we could have some good news on the Iran front," Trump said. He added serious progress had been made. He did not elaborate on the talks in Rome between US special envoy Steve Witkoff and an Iranian delegation (Read more at Geo.TV).
Iran will be able to survive if negotiations with the US over its nuclear programme fail to secure a deal, President Masoud Pezeshkian has said, after US President Donald Trump described weekend talks with Tehran as "very good". Masoud Pezeshkian's comments follow Foreign Minister's denial that Tehran could freeze enrichment for three years (Read more at The National).
Speaking to JNS on May 23, McKenzie elaborated on the leverage the U.S. currently holds. When asked what specific U.S. capabilities or kinetic steps could credibly pose an existential threat to the Iranian regime, compelling this choice, the general replied, “Threatening the nuclear program is a key element of any threat to the regime. Beyond the nuclear program, potential targets could include the energy sector, including distillation and loading/holding facilities, power generation, and transmission lines. In short, targets that would immediately bring the economy of Iran to a halt.” (Read more at JNS)
The base is known as Qasrak and is one of two bases in the northeast Hasakah province where U.S. troops are based (Source: AOL).
No casualties were reported, and both Qatar and the Trump administration were made aware of the Iranian attack ahead of the time (Read more at Axios).
Bruce also told reporters that a U.S. team wouldn’t be readying for a fifth round of nuclear pact discussions with Iran in Rome on Friday “if we didn’t think that there was potential for it.” Amid mixed messaging from the Trump administration, Bruce said that the American position is that Iran can carry out “no enrichment” of uranium (Read more at JNS).
“The fifth round of Iran-US talks have concluded today in Rome with some, but not conclusive, progress,” said Omani mediator Badr al-Busaidi after Friday’s meeting at the Omani embassy in Rome’s Camilluccia neighbourhood. “We hope to clarify the remaining issues in the coming days,” he said after the high-level talks, which were led by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff (Read more at Aljazeera).
The fifth round of Iran-US talks over Tehran's nuclear program will take place in Rome on Friday, Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced in a brief statement on Wednesday evening. International benchmark Brent crude decreased by around 1.2%, trading at $63.45 per barrel at 10.17 a.m. local time (0717 GMT), down from $64.22 at the previous session's close (Read more at Anadolu Agency).
“Iran strongly warns against any adventurism by the Zionist regime of Israel and will decisively respond to any threat or unlawful act by this regime,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a letter addressed to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The minister said Tehran would view Washington as a “participant” in any such attack (Read more at Aljazeera).
In a statement, the U.S. Department of State said on Wednesday it had found Iran’s construction sector was controlled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and that it had identified another 10 strategic materials now subject to U.S. sanctions. The 10 materials include austenitic nickel-chromium alloy, magnesium ingots, sodium perchlorate, tungsten copper and certain aluminum sheets and tubes, among others, it said (Read more at whbl).
What sets Iran apart from every other nuclear-armed nation—or those seeking the bomb—is its disbelief in mutual assured destruction. Iranian leaders openly embrace martyrdom. And that’s what terrifies Israelis—and what should alarm the entire world (Read more at JNS).
Such a move would mark a “brazen break” from President Donald Trump’s diplomatic push. While no final decision has been made by Israeli leaders, “intercepted Israeli communications and observations of Israeli military movements” suggest an imminent strike. And the prospect of a Trump-negotiated US-Iran deal that doesn’t remove all of Iran’s uranium makes the chance of a strike more likely (Read more at Anadolu Ajansı).
“During (former President Ebrahim) Raisi’s time there were also indirect negotiations that didn’t result in anything, and now we also doubt we will reach a conclusion, and we don’t know what will happen,” he was cited as saying on his website (Read more at CNN).
The poll shows that 69 percent of Americans view a negotiated agreement to limit Iran’s nuclear programme with monitoring as the best way to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Notably, 64 percent of Republicans say they want a deal, too. Iran acknowledges discussions on nuclear consortium but says it could not replace its right to enrich uranium (Read more at Middle East Eye).
"We have one very, very clear red line, and that is enrichment. We cannot allow even 1% of an enrichment capability," Witkoff said. While Witkoff was reiterating President Donald Trump's position about uranium enrichment, Iran's response was evidence that the two sides have a long way to go to reach any agreement over Iran's nuclear program (Read more at The Star).
“Our stance on enrichment is well-known and firm — we consider it a national achievement and will not abandon it,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takhtravanchi said (Read more at Anews)
In a speech to a group of teachers gathered for a state ceremony in Tehran on Saturday, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said some of Trump’s comments were not even worth responding to (Read more at Aljazeera).
“Iran wants to trade with us, okay, if you can believe that. And I’m OK with it,” the president told host Bret Baier. “I’m using trade to settle scores and to make peace. But I’ve told Iran we make a deal.” Trump confirmed to reporters on Air Force One on his way back to Washington from the Middle East that the U.S. has given Iran a formal proposal for a new nuclear agreement, adding, “more importantly, they know they have to move quickly.” (Read more at The Hill)
The USS Nimitz aircraft carrier rerouted from the South China Sea to the Middle East on Monday, a move that will put two U.S. aircraft carriers in the region as the conflict worsens between Israel and Iran. Dozens of Air Force refueling aircraft also left their U.S. bases this weekend in a new deployment to Europe, a preventative measure to support any operations in the Middle East (Read more at Politico).
House and Senate Republicans urged U.S. President Donald Trump to reject any nuclear deal with Iran that allows the Islamic Republic to continue enriching nuclear material. “The scope and breadth of Iran’s nuclear buildout have made it impossible to verify any new deal that allows Iran to continue enriching uranium,” House and Senate Republicans wrote (Read more at JNS).
The US on May 14 unveiled fresh sanctions against six people and 12 firms – including several Chinese nationals – for their support of Iran’s ballistic missile programme. The May 14 sanctions are aimed at organisations involved in “efforts to help the Iranian regime domestically source the manufacturing of critical materials needed for Tehran’s ballistic missile programme”, according to the US Treasury Department (Read more at Straits Times).
“We’re not going to be making any nuclear dust in Iran,” he said. “I think we’re getting close to maybe doing a deal without having to do this.” Trump said he was basing his optimism on new statements by Iran. “You probably read today the story about Iran. It’s sort of agreed to the terms,” he said (Read more at Aljazeera).
An Iranian official told NBC News in an interview published on Wednesday that Iran was willing to agree to a deal with the U.S. in exchange for lifting economic sanctions (Read more at Reuters).
“He [Trump] thinks he can come here, chant slogans, and scare us. For us, martyrdom is far sweeter than dying in bed. You came to frighten us? We will not bow to any bully,” Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said (Read more at Aljazeera).
Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei slammed U.S. officials for their "contradictory" remarks about what they sought to achieve in the talks, stressing that the other side should regulate their minds and refrain from making contradictory comments. Baghaei said Iran is steadfast in the negotiations and its positions are "determined, clear and unchangeable," adding that Iran has entered the talks seriously as "we have always entered negotiations to achieve results, not to use talks as a tool to waste time." (Read more at Xinhua)
Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, talks about the Trump administration’s diplomacy with Iran. He discusses the failures of the first Trump administration’s and the Biden administration’s approaches to Iran, why Trump’s second time around could lead to a new nuclear deal, Iran’s changing regional geopolitical position, and why a more peaceful US-Iran relationship serves US interests in the Middle East (Listen here).
Offering what he described as both a final warning and a potential opening for diplomacy, Trump said Iran has a choice between continuing its "chaos and terror" or embracing a path toward peace. "I want to make a deal with Iran," he said. "But if Iran's leadership rejects this olive branch..., we will have no choice but to inflict massive maximum pressure." (Read more at AOL)
Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, talks about the Trump administration’s diplomacy with Iran. He discusses the failures of the first Trump administration’s and the Biden administration’s approaches to Iran, why Trump’s second time around could lead to a new nuclear deal, Iran’s changing regional geopolitical position, and why a more peaceful US-Iran relationship serves US interests in the Middle East (Listen Here).
These sanctions are intended to “delay and degrade” Iran’s ability to research and develop nuclear weapons, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. Those sanctioned are involved in activities that currently or could potentially materially contribute to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (Read more at JNS).
After about three hours of negotiations on Sunday, spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei described the talks as “difficult but useful talks to better understand each other’s positions and to find reasonable and realistic ways to address the differences” (Read more at Aljazeera).
The U.S. Treasury designated the Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group refinery and three companies for operating a terminal at Dongying Port in Shandong province. It said they had purchased or facilitated the delivery of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Iranian oil. It was the latest independent Chinese refinery targeted by the Trump administration after it re-imposed a policy of "maximum pressure" that aims to cut off Iran's export revenue to pressure Tehran into a deal to curb its nuclear program and stop the funding of militant groups across the Middle East (Read more at Iran Oil Gas).
Iran can have a peaceful nuclear program if the Islamic Republic doesn’t enrich uranium, according to Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.). (Read more at JNS)
It is related to a deadly drone attack on a U.S. military base in Jordan carried out by Iran-backed militants last year. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston ruled, opens new tab that the risk that Mahdi Sadeghi might flee was too great to allow him to be released on bond while he awaited trial on charges that he engaged in a scheme to violate U.S. export control and sanctions laws (Read more at Reuters).
Although Trump has the authority to alter the official US designation, he cannot enforce a global consensus on the name. The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), which includes the United States as a member, is responsible for ensuring that all the world's seas, oceans, and navigable waters are uniformly surveyed and charted (Read more at The Mirror).
The spokesperson added that Tehran was flexible regarding the timing of talks and was waiting for details from mediator Oman regarding the next round of negotiations with the U.S. "What matters for us is the behaviour and stances of the U.S. negotiating team," Baghaei said, adding that contradictory statements from U.S. officials were "unhelpful" and would not impact Tehran's determination to defend its fundamental positions, including its right to enrich uranium domestically (Read more at Reuters).
"If this war is initiated by the US or the Zionist regime (Israel), Iran will target their interests, bases and forces - wherever they may be and whenever deemed necessary," Iran's Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said (Read more at Business Standard).
Trump's remarks in an "Meet the Press" interview aired Sunday are the first time he's publicly announced the ambitious goal since nuclear talks began with Iran a month ago. GOP senators, evangelical leaders and other Trump supporters have called on the president in recent days to make his position clear regarding Iran's nuclear program (Read more at Axios).
"The continuation of these illegal behaviours will not change Iran's logical, legitimate and international law-based positions," a foreign ministry statement said, condemning what it called "pressure on Iran's trade and economic partners". It added that such sanctions have created "deep suspicion and mistrust about the seriousness of America on the path of diplomacy" (Read more at Channel News Asia).
Trump’s renewed hardline stance toward Tehran—issued just as U.S.-Iran nuclear talks stalled—jolted oil traders and triggered a nearly 2% rise in crude prices. The move could further destabilize global energy markets already facing uncertainty from OPEC+ supply decisions and weakening economic signals from the U.S (Read more at Mehrnews).
Iran yesterday accused the United States of “contradictory behaviour and provocative statements” after Washington warned Tehran of consequences for backing Yemen’s Houthis and imposed new oil-related sanctions on it in the midst of nuclear talks. Yesterday, Washington imposed sanctions on entities it accused of involvement in the illicit trade of Iranian oil and petrochemicals (Read more at Middle East Monitor).
“They have to walk away from sponsoring terrorists, they have to walk away from helping the Houthis (in Yemen), they have to walk away from building long-range missiles that have no purpose to exist other than having nuclear weapons, and they have to walk away from enrichment,” Rubio said in a Fox News interview (Read more at Dawn).
“Message to Iran: We see your deadly support for the Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing. You know what the US military is capable of, and you have been warned. You will face the consequences at a time and place of our choosing,” Hegseth wrote on social network X (Read more at UATV).
"U.S. sanctions on Iran during the nuclear talks are not helping the sides to resolve the nuclear dispute through diplomacy," an official said. Oman, which mediated earlier sessions of the U.S.-Iran talks, said on Thursday the next round of nuclear discussions provisionally planned for May 3 would be rescheduled for "logistical reasons" (Read more at Reuters).
The United States has imposed sanctions on a network based in Iran and China that it accused of procuring ballistic missile propellant ingredients on behalf of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps as President Donald Trump's administration seeks to increase pressure on Tehran. The U.S. Treasury Department in a statement said it was targeting six entities and six individuals as part of the action, which comes as the Trump administration has relaunched negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program (Read more at Iran Front Page).
Iran's reach out to Britain, France and Germany, known as the E3, suggests Tehran is keeping its options open, but also wants to assess where the Europeans stand on the possible re-imposition of U.N. sanctions before October, when a resolution ratifying the 2015 accord expires (Read more at AOL).
The senior U.S. official said the third round of talks lasted over four hours and included direct and indirect engagement between the U.S. and Iranian teams. Araghchi said in a briefing with his traveling press that he is satisfied with the progress and pace of the negotiations and stressed both sides are serious. "Some differences are serious, some less so. I'm hopeful about reaching a deal, but yet cautious," Araghchi added (Read more at Axios).
“The continued imposition of sanctions against various economic sectors of Iran is in clear contradiction with the US claim for dialogue and negotiation and indicates the lack of goodwill and seriousness of the US in this regard,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei said (Read more at Arab Weekly).
An official reiterated Iran's longstanding position that it would not make any further concessions on its missile programme beyond those agreed in a previous deal in 2015, saying Iran's defensive capabilities "are not up for negotiation". The U.S. State Department declined to comment. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment (Read more at Yahoo News).
Asked whether he was open to meeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei or President Masoud Pezeshkian, Trump replied: "Sure." When asked if the U.S. would join a war against Iran should Israel take action, he responded: "I may go in very willingly if we can't get a deal. If we don't make a deal, I'll be leading the pack." (Read more at Straits Times)
Trump made the remarks ahead of technical talks between the US and Iranian delegations in Oman on Saturday. "I think we're doing very well on an agreement with Iran. ... That one is well on its way - we could have a very, very good decision," Trump said (Read more at Mehrnews).
“China has always been committed to a political and diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue and is opposed to resorting to force and illegal unilateral sanctions at every turn,” China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said. Wang said China appreciated Iran’s commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, respected the country’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy and supported its dialogue with all parties, including the US (Read more at South China Morining Post).
If Washington sticks to the position taken by Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, in the third round of talks in Oman on Saturday, the two sides will have hit their first major negotiating hurdle. They are trying to reach an agreement that blocks off Iran’s access to a nuclear bomb in return for relief from economic sanctions. The Rubio plan is an attempt at compromise between those inside the US administration who say the only certain way to close off Iran’s path to a nuclear bomb is to dismantle its entire nuclear programme and those that say Iran should be allowed to enrich low purity uranium subject to a full external inspection. That proposal is similar to the system set up in the 2015 nuclear deal from which Donald Trump withdrew the US in his first term (Read more at Guardian).
“If Iran wants a civil nuclear program, they can have one just like many other countries can have one, and that is they import enriched material,” Rubio said. Iran insists its nuclear program is for civilian energy use and says it does not seek to make weapons-grade uranium to build atomic bombs (Read more at AP).
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told White House envoy Steve Witkoff during nuclear talks on Saturday that it might not be possible to reach a final nuclear accord on President Trump's proposed timetable and asked whether the sides should first negotiate an interim deal. If a deal isn't reached, Trump could order a U.S. military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities or support an Israeli strike (Read more at Axios).
Anton is a low-profile and increasingly powerful administration official who worked on the National Security Council in the first Trump administration and later served as a fellow at the conservative Claremont Institute. He has not yet staked out a public stance on the Iran file. “He is the perfect man for the job given his experience and intellect. Most importantly, he will ensure that President Trump’s agenda on this file is followed through,” an administration official said (Read more at Politico).
Iran is ringing two deeply buried tunnel complexes with a massive security perimeter linked to its main nuclear complex. David Albright, the institute president, said the new perimeter suggested that the tunnel complexes, under construction beneath Mount Kolang Gaz La for several years, could become operational relatively soon (Read more at Yahoo).
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated Iranian national and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) “magnate” Seyed Asadoollah Emamjomeh and his corporate network, for his role in shipping hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian LPG and crude oil to foreign markets. Emamjomeh’s expansive network includes a vessel, the 2024-built Tinos I, which intended but failed to load cargo last year on its maiden voyage off the coast of Houston (Read more at Splash 247).
According to the mission, the cancellation came as a result of the organizer’s decision to shift the format from a solo speech to a debate. The Iranian delegation expressed regret over the change and confirmed that the full text of Araghchi’s prepared remarks would be published at an appropriate time (Read more at Profile News).
Tehran has confirmed that the discussions have led so far to an understanding on the broad framework of the negotiations. Iran has praised the continuing talks with the US as the two sides prepare for further meetings, saying it hopes they could lead to investment and help revive its ailing economy (Read more at The National).
Oman’s Foreign Ministry said the talks resulted in an agreement to move towards the next phase of negotiations aimed at sealing “a fair, enduring and binding deal”. The next step would ensure “Iran is completely free of nuclear weapons and sanctions, and maintains its ability to develop peaceful nuclear energy”, it added. “This time we managed to reach a better understanding on a series of principles and goals,” Mr Al Busaidi told Iranian state TV (Read more at The National).
"Given the contradictory positions we have heard from various U.S. officials over the past few days, we expect the U.S. side to first provide an explanation in this regard and to remove the serious ambiguities that have arisen regarding its intentions and seriousness," Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said (Read more at Japan Times).
Former US President Joe Biden, whose administration unsuccessfully tried to reinstate the 2015 pact, was not able to meet Tehran's demand for guarantees that no future US administration would renege on it. While both Tehran and Washington have said they are set on pursuing diplomacy, they remain far apart on a dispute that has rumbled on for more than two decades (Read more at Business Standard).
It was agreed that negotiations will continue and move into the next phase, in which expert-level meetings will begin on Wednesday in Oman. The experts will have the opportunity to start designing a framework for an agreement. The top negotiators would meet again in Oman next Saturday to "review the experts' work and assess how closely it aligns with the principles of a potential agreement (Read more at MSN)
When asked to comment on the possibility of a military action against Iran, Trump said: "I wouldn't say [I] waved off [this option]. I'm not in a rush to do it, because I think that Iran has a chance to have a great country and to live happily without death. And I'd like to see that. That's my first option. If there's a second option, I think it would be very bad for Iran. And I think Iran is wanting to talk. I hope they're wanting to talk. It's going to be very good for them if they do." (Read more at Tass)
Both sides will try to establish what the baseline for the talks is and, hopefully, set up a framework from which they can probably reach an initial deal. They can then set out the guidelines for negotiating a longer-term agreement which would, on the one hand, restrict Iran's nuclear programme and, on the other, provide a large measure of sanctions relief (Read more at The National).
